St. Helena Church

St. Helena is a Catholic church in Karşıyaka, Turkey. It was built in 1904 and designed by Raymond Charles Péré.^[1]

History

St. Helena Catholic Church was designed by Raymond Charles Péré, the architect of İzmir Clock Tower in Konak, on land allocated to the Catholic Community of father Don Alfonso Vallery in the early 20th century.

The construction of the church was completed in 1904, due to the financial support of Count Nikolai Alliotti and the permission granted by Abdul Hamid II. The Muslim Community in Karşıyaka also contributed to the church's construction through donations.^[2] Today, St. Helena Catholic Church remains in active use. The church is named after Saint Helena of Constantinople, the wife of Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus. Many believe that she discovered and preserved the True Cross and other relics of Jesus.

The church's construction features built-in brick, concrete, and sandstone.

Structural issues led to a renovation of the interior in 1968, with efforts to protect the building's historical character. Although the interior was renewed, the exterior remains unrestored. To prevent damage, the brick arches were reinforced with concrete. The church's interior, designed in the classical cross form, avoids the use of columns along the main axis.

Context

St Helena is in harmony with the many residential buildings surrounding the church, which is located at the center of Karşıyaka. The Church is isolated from the outside with the help of its garden, surrounded by high-rise building. The Church and its garden are protected with high walls and large doors that lead in a straight line to the Church doors. In this case, the church has an axial approach.

Formal Qualities

Formal Qualities:

There is a big gallery between the small galleries. This Church is built on the Basilica plan. The architect Raymond Charles Péré was inspired by Gothic architecture. The cross vaults emphasize the architectural richness that belongs to the roof system. St. Helena Church has multiple types of marble used in the interior decoration. One of them is Italian marble that was used on a altar located at an apse while others were used for the columns and thir heads located at the nave, made from Marmara marble. The most important column is the first religious martyr of the city, St. Polycorpos. There is an org at the upper part of the church that was used for women to pray. When architectural plans of church are examined, it can be noted that the aisle forms the body of the churches' form while the transept forms the arms of the cross.